The Emmy-winning host of 'Survivor' has agreed to drop us a line every week with his take on the latest episode and the behind-the-scenes action in Gabon. It doesn't get any better than this, folks. --PopWatch

So we let the Survivors pick their own tribes, which is always risky, and this episode only reinforces why it is probably not a great idea.

What were the people on the Fang tribe thinking? I am constantly amazed at the choices that get made on this show. Friday morning quarterbacking is easy to do on Survivor but some of the choices still make me scratch my head. It's not the last time they'll make questionable choices either.

I loved the opening-challenge dilemma of either selfishly racing to the top of the hill or selflessly staying behind to help your tribe. Actions speak louder than words. Marcus and G.C., good for you. Hope that first episode immunity really pays off for you 'cause it may cost you later.

Not sure what to make of Ace. I love him on the show. He's gold. But I have the same question everybody else probably has…is the accent real? If not, how much effort does it take to keep it "on" all the time?

Did you see Crystal hoofing it up the side of that hill? Crystal is a former Olympic athlete. Wait, GOLD MEDALIST! I thought for sure she was pretending to be slow as a strategy, but she wasn't. She said she was used to "lighter shoes." Fair enough. She was a track star not a rock climber.

Randy getting injured was a nice bonus for episode 1. Anytime there is an injury, along with blood or stitches, it's usually good for the show. Randy is going to be a star if he can last long enough. Everything he says cracks me up. I also think most of it is heartfelt. He's mean as an alley cat, and trust me they're mean.

But nobody can touch Corinne on the Bitch meter. I only feel comfortable saying this because Corinne told it to me in person. She said it drives her nuts when somebody says she is "pleasant" or "nice," it's insulting. She wears it like a badge of honor and I'll be bringing it up for as long as she is around. In her favor, Corinne plays the game hard, she knows how important alliances are, and if she forms a good one she could be around for a while.

Question: Is Corinne more or less hot now that you know she'd burn your house down if she got mad at you? Corinne, I hope you're laughing. You know I'm joking. If not, I sure hope you don't know where I live.

One of my favorite moments is the "termite love scene" between Kenny and Michelle. Makes me laugh and smile every time I see it. They were both so earnest and Michelle so cute when she ate the termite. I was hoping something might develop there…

…but instead, Michelle disappeared.

Not sure what happened to Michelle's attitude. I had her picked as a favorite in my preshow picks. Yes. A favorite. Something happened and her zeal disappeared. A major disappointment. I'm sure it was tough for her as well.

Episode 1 is over. Kota dominating. Fang in trouble.

Episode 2

The mismatched tribes continue to haunt Fang. I kept reminding them, "Quit complaining. You did it to yourselves." I like being a pain in the ass. Sometimes, like today as I write this blog, that's just the kind of mood I'm in.

The real truth is I would probably make equally foolish decisions if I had to step up and actually play the game. Instead I get paid to comment without ever having to put my money where my mouth is. Yes, I'm aware.

At the first tribal council, G.C. reluctantly accepted the leadership position. The question is how long will he last and how effective will he be? I would have never chosen him as my leader. This is the guy that raced ahead to get immunity for himself. It is a sign. Fang is in major trouble at this point. They're all afraid to do anything and coming from a place of fear is never a good idea.

Over at Kota, Ace is cracking me up. I love him! Doing yoga in his orange shorts with the accent and never ever breaking character. Major kudos.

Sugar cries a lot. Just warning you. But I think you're going to like her. Maybe even root for her.

Marcus is getting a lot of love from everybody. They love his leadership, they love that he's a doctor, and they love how calm he is. He drove us nuts as producers because he was telling everybody to act rationally! What?! What are you doing? Quit ruining Survivor, dude. Marcus is waaaay too good for this game. He could easily win. When we were out on location it seemed that every girl wanted him, even half of our production crew. That's just annoying.

Dan's visit to Exile Island tells you everything you need to know about Dan. He's lovable and extremely well-intentioned but he overthinks everything. He's Hamlet. Trust me when I tell you, finding the idol is not that difficult, as you'll see in upcoming episodes. He just plain overthought it. Too bad, the idol is a powerful weapon. I love that his tribe thinks that because he is overdoing it with his admission that he doesn't have it, that he probably does have it! If they only knew the truth, they'd hope for him to be sent to Exile every single time.

Another tribal council for Fang, and Gillian is gone. I have to say the truth about Gillian. And Gillian, if you're reading this, I say this with love. Gillian is a very nice person and she absolutely means well. She was so excited to be on the show, she had applied every season! She is originally from South Africa, and when she found out we were going back to her homeland, she was thrilled. I actually liked Gillian quite a bit during casting. But once the show started, Gillian...you became a little annoying. You simply talked too much without saying anything substantive. You were a cheerleader, and let's face it, cheerleaders are…well, annoying. We hated to see you go, but if you hadn't been voted out, we may have removed you ourselves. Gillian, you're smiling, right? It's a blog. I'm just having fun. If you're not smiling and you're mad, please don't tell Corinne where I live.

Episode 2 done. Fang down 2 members. Kota still going strong.

Next week on…Survivor: Fang needs a win. Sugar needs a Kleenex.

Okay, that's it for this week. More next week. Reporting for Dalton Ross and Entertainment Weekly, I'm JPiddy.

When it comes to what is good for the show, as producers, we obviously look at it much differently than the Survivors. One of our biggest concerns is hanging onto our best “characters” for as long as possible. That is ultimately what keeps you, our loyal audience, interested. (Side note: Last week, a new study was released that surveyed audience loyalty relating to their favorite television shows. The number one show…the show with the highest viewer loyalty…of every show on television, was Survivor. Seventeen seasons and you are still with us. Thank you for keeping us on the air!) We now resume our regularly scheduled blog…

Unfortunately, we can’t tell the Survivors who to vote for, so all we can do is cross our fingers and hope for the best. After three episodes of Survivor: Gabon, we’re very happy on that front.

First we lost Michelle, then Gillian, and now Paloma. Whew. Relief. Three people who will not be missed. I say that with all due respect to the aforementioned, although, as my buddy Lopez reminds me, whenever you say “with all due respect” you’re actually saying without any respect at all. Yes, I am aware that if I keep up this lippy attitude for the entire season that I may end up buried to my neck in sand at the live reunion show. The problem is I write these in the afternoon, typically when I’m most hungry and therefore a bit cranky. Not an excuse, just a fact.

G.C. continues to disappoint…himself. The reward challenge, which was called “Kicking and Screaming,” is one of my favorites, but watching G.C. give up was even more dramatic. His tribe was screaming at him to kick it into high gear. Granted, they are living on extremely small rations of rice, so energy is in short supply, but Matty and Dan certainly had energy and they’re living on the same rice. In fact, can I just be candid? I don’t think it’s the end result as much as the lack of effort that frustrates his tribe. G.C.’s heart just doesn’t seem to be into it. I’m sure he is wondering if he should have given more effort. What continues to amaze me is the impact this game has on the human psyche. Or vice versa. I can’t be sure which is right. Dalton?

Sugar goes to Exile Island and we learn a bit more about who she is and what drives her. She’s clearly still mourning the loss of her father, who seems to be providing beautiful inspiration. She finds the hidden immunity idol with very little difficulty. Dan, who was probably with friends last night watching this episode, must have taken a ration of it from his buddies. She found the idol in twenty minutes, dude!! She smoked you! Ah, Sugar…I told you, I think you’re gonna root for her.

The immunity challenge provided at least one bit of excitement -- bikinis! It’s just not Survivor if, at some point, the women are not in bikinis. Am I wrong? Is that sexist? I’m just saying what people on the street tell me. Just keepin’ it reeeel dawg. Why you gotta bring me down? I don’t believe you critics anyway. I think you like it.

Time for another question: “At this early stage of the game, who are you pulling for?” Since EW isn’t giving me a space for comments, even though I take time out of my extremely hectic and oh-so-important life to write this column, go to Dalton’s column and post your answer! [Editor's note: We would never deny Jeff his due comment space, so feel free to post your thoughts below. In fact, we insist!]

So, Fang has turned things around with back-to-back wins. Trust me, Marcus is not happy. He’s a doctor. Did you know that? He just lost to a tribe of misfits, many of whom do not even have college degrees! No way! Kota now going to feel the after effect of having to vote someone out. It’s not so fun anymore. Kelly is on the outs for voting against Ace. What will she do? Come on Kelly. Think. What would Lindsay do? Kota needs to get it back together.

Next week has a nice little twist conceived by our resident switch expert, Dan Munday. I love it when we come up with something new that catches them off guard. It’s so hard to do that anymore, so when it happens we celebrate. We really do. We go back to base camp, pop a bottle of champagne, and slap each other on the backs. I’m kidding. There is no hitting on Survivor.

Ah...unscripted reality. You just can’t write this stuff. I think the idea of having them rank themselves in order of importance was one of more inspired “switch” ideas of late. You can thank Dan Munday for that one. Been with our show since season two and he’s brilliant. They simply didn’t see the switch coming and as you know that pleases me to no end when we pull one over on them.

Dumbest move: What blew me away was the fact that Bob was picked so late in the process. Somebody is gonna pay for that one. Trust me, had you been standing in my shoes you would have been just as shocked. Bob is a worker and a competitor. To leave him up there that long tells me these guys are vulnerable for a smart player to wreak havoc on this game. That was a mistake. They’re under estimating him and that means they’re not paying attention.

Best move: Kenny choosing Kelly. Kenny is playing to WIN. He’s taking chances. Kelly seemed like a ridiculous choice and Kenny played it as such saying he chose her because “she’s hot.” Lie. He chose her because he sensed a lost puppy in need of a home and he believed he could use her vote to further his own game. Video gamers all over the world must be loving skinny little Kenny with the creepy long fingernails. Another one to watch out for down the stretch.

Favorite move: Ace ended up on one of the worst tribes ever – Fang. It’s perfect. I can’t wait to hear him wax on about all the problems on this tribe.

Corrine is growing on me. Just sayin.

Ah, Matty swearing on his girlfriend. Will this come back to bite him in the butt? Not sure I’d trust Ace. Check that, I’m sure I wouldn’t trust Ace. I don’t think Ace trusts Ace. Matty is vulnerable. He plays this game too honestly to have much of a shot at winning.

The immunity challenge: I’m so done with Fang right now. It had to suck major big time to have Randy dominate them the way he did. Ace got used, but in his defense, Ace had absolutely no help from anybody. I don’t think Crystal ever moved from her corner. It’s amazing to watch. No matter who goes over to the Fang tribe, they suddenly suck.

When it came time for tribal council, Jacquie was simply a victim of bad luck. She had all her eggs in one basket with Marcus and thanks to Dan Munday, her game was shot. Again, just being candid, as nice as Jacquie is (and she is extremely pleasant) she didn’t bring as much to the show from a character point of view….Why is it the attractive blonde women on our show are often the least interesting in reality? Jacquie was all about winning and she would have had a very good shot had she lasted a bit longer but we also need to entertain the audience and that wasn’t Jacquie’s strong suit. So, if you have to lose someone, I guess Jacquie isn’t a bad person to lose. Just being honest, better her than Randy or Ace. Add Jacquie to the list of people who will not want to talk to me at the live show.

Okay. That’s all I have. For all you critics just remember, you don’t pay anything for these blogs. I’m not a magazine writer. I’m just a simple little reality host trying to make his way in the world. Dalton asked me to write these blogs, “without thinking.” Those were his exact words. He wanted an unedited account of what I remember about the episode. So, that’s what you’re getting. I’m not going back and rewriting or even checking the spelling. This is a blog and this one is finished. See ya next week!

Let's start this week's blog by going backwards to last week's episode. A lot of people shared with me that they thought getting rid of Jacquie made absolutely no sense and that Kelly should have been the one voted out. Shows what I know. Maybe Jacquie was more entertaining than I gave her credit for! My bad.

Okay, it's time for one final column focusing on G.C. When G.C. disappeared before the challenge it was slightly annoying. He really did leave. Just took off. We were at the challenge and received word from the producers that the tribe was out looking for G.C. We told them that if he wasn't there when it was time to leave their camp for the challenge, they should just leave him behind. Secretly I was praying that would happen. You long for those "fresh" moments when something happens that has never happened before. I'm not really sure if G.C. was playing games with his tribe or not. It seems unlikely that he forgot there was a challenge, but to give him the benefit of the doubt...maybe that's what happened. Either way, he made it back in time, and I hope he feels at least a little bad about returning too soon and thereby robbing the show of a potential great moment.

Does anyone else love moments like the catching of an "electric fish"? Sure, it won't impact the game and will never come up at tribal council, but it always reminds me of the authenticity of Survivor. I think sometimes we forget to tell that part of the story since so much of Survivor is based solely on strategy.

(I should probably point out that, as I write this, I just got home from a day of working and I'm really hungry. So, if I have an edge or if my thoughts drift, blame lack of food.)

Question: Why do Survivors continue to leave the idol in their bag? This makes no sense. There are millions, yes millions of spots you could bury or hide the idol. This one really confuses me. Survivor is not the time to test the trustworthiness of people. Sugar, hide the damn thing. You go to all that work to find it and then you give its power away by letting everybody know you have it. I suppose you leave your wallet in your unlocked car too. Actually I do that too, so whatever. You get my point.

Okay, so…the highlight of the episode, IMO, (yep, using text speak. DWI) was when the Fang tribe came face to face with an elephant. It was a Spielberg moment. Wide-eyed Survivors staring across the lake at a beautiful wild elephant. Keep in mind, this isn't a zoo. It's not even somewhere like Kenya where the animals are used to safari groups. Gabon is remote. This was a big damn deal.

When this happened, I was back at base camp monitoring the reality channel on our walkie talkies. I heard the producer come on in a whispered tone: "We have an elephant sighting. Survivors getting in boat to investigate. Great stuff. Dramatic."

You need to understand that we get more excited than anybody when something like this happens. This is why you go all the way to Gabon, in the hopes of a moment like this that is so good you know it will be in the show even before you take it home to edit.

Our camera and audio teams covered it beautifully and when Ace and Matty decided to get in the boat, it turned a home run into a grandslam. So happy we caught it all in HD!

First off, let me just say that this will be short. No reason. Just not a lot to say this week. It happens. You'll see. One day it will happen to you too. No cause for alarm. It's not any physical abnormality. It just happens sometimes. Deal with it. I am.

Okay, can we start with what is becoming my favorite story line…Sugar going to Exile Island. The best part is that while they think they are punishing her, little do they know she is living it up, eating better than anyone, and she misses out on all the camp chores. Camp life can really suck. Not for Sugar. Didn't I tell you you'd be rooting for her. Admit it. You are. You can't help it. Yes, she cries a lot, but she's growing on you. Admit it. She is.

Then there's Ace…was he a challenge hog trying to raise that flag all by himself? You know, like Kobe Bryant of the Lakers who never passes to anybody. Or was he just doing what any savvy person would do when confronted with the fact that his tribe still sucks and if he waited on them to contribute he'd still be there.

Personally, I say taking matters into his own hands was the right move in that challenge. Dude's playing for a million dollars.

Trusting Ace however is a whole 'nother ball game. Sugar seems to trust him but I'm guessing you don't. Admit it. You don't. I wouldn't either. It's that damn accent. Here's something you can trust, I'm gonna find out at the Reunion Show if the accent is real or not.

Gotta talk about the turtle. Here's the deal…my friend Sean is a hunter. My cousin Darren is a hunter. Sarah Palin is a hunter. A lot of my friends are hunters. I'm not. Neither is Sheetal, for the record. In fact, she really doesn't like hunters much at all. So, she pretty much hates the entire Kota tribe for killing the turtle. She thinks they had plenty of rice so why kill a "perfectly harmless minding-his-own-business" turtle. I tell her I don't know, ask Gov. Palin.

By the way, VOTE Nov. 4th.

Now let's deal with Kelly. I miss her already. I won't say it, but admit it, you do too. She's cute. Sure she's young and has a lot to learn and a lot of life to live. But so do you, so get off your damn soapbox and cut her a break. She did her best. She should be proud.

"Our fans are pretty good. They don't give away too much. Sometimes people love dropping spoilers, but our fans are good. They tend to do it in such a way that doesn't ruin it for fans who don't want to know."--Phil Keoghan

Spoiler alert! Read after the jump to check out Jeff's candid take on what went down on last night's episode of 'Survivor: Gabon.'

Ah, man. Man. Man. Man. This blows. Ace is gone...and Dan is gone. I miss them already. Okay, we'll get to that later.

Crystal spilling the rice. Love this. Thank you, Survivor gods. Amazing how such a small moment can turn into something so big. The name of this game is "Make Sure It Ain't Me," and Crystal just gave them a reason to make it her. Only a very strong alliance saved her.

I root for Dan. In life. I know he can be annoying but it comes from a place of insecurity. It's too bad, he's a nice guy. Hopefully this adventure helped thicken his skin a bit. He's not as smart as he thinks but he's much smarter than he appears to be.

Corrine is tough. She says it like it is and sometimes that is really hard to hear. If I found myself on her tribe, I think I'd be tempted to hold her down and let the leaches have their way with her. Then again, knowing my weaknesses, I'd probably find myself in a regrettable alliance with her and end up with my throat cut but with a smile on my face.

The loved ones letters. These get to me every time. Bob and Dan were both so touched to hear from their family. It made me like them both even more. If you're reading this and thinking "I hate anything to do with loved ones," I say this: If you don't like love, what is wrong with you?

It wouldn't be an episode if Sugar didn't go to exile and didn't cry. Check both.

Matty, Matty, Matty. He's like a Billy Joel song. Wearing his heart on his sleeve. He must stay in this game a long time. Along with Kenny, Crystal, Corrine, Randy, and Sugar.

Now to tribal council. Dan had to know it was a possibility that he'd be voted out. He tried so hard. Too hard. That's what I'd offer to Dan. You're fine as you are, my friend. Don't try so hard. Just be.

As for Ace. Let's be extremely clear. Ace was blindsided. Major blindside. He doesn't want to admit it but it's true. Man, I hate to see him go. Such a delight. A great bit of Survivor casting. Ace, you delivered. You left too soon.

Next week – we finally pull one over on this group of Survivors. A small victory, but it felt so good that I want to brag about it early. I think you'll love it and you will shake your head in amazement at the "never happened before" moment that occurs as a result.

Deep breath. Take it in, let it out. Once more. Deeeep breath. Take it in and let it out. On the rare occasions when we manage to pull one over on the Survivors, this is the ritual I go through immediately following. I just take a moment and let it fill my soul.

This group of Survivors were certain they knew when we were going to merge and they never backed off from their prediction. They kept saying it at tribal council. They'd gloat about it at challenges. "You always merge on the same day, Probst. It's not hard to predict." I kept my wits about me knowing they were off. Barely off, mind you, but off enough that we knew it was gonna bite them in the ass.

We set it up so it looked like a traditional merge feast. They bought it hook, line, and sinker. I think the key to it all was the box that said, "Open after you have finished the feast." They were certain it contained their merge buffs. They were wrong.

We strategically placed the hidden immunity idol note so that it was visible enough that someone would see it but not so visible that everyone would see it. We obviously had no idea where anyone would sit but we hoped that maybe someone would be able to sneak it out without anyone else noticing. What happened instead was better than we could have ever hoped for! They find the idol...as a group...and then the unthinkable happens.

Marcus convinces the group to get rid of the idol.

He convinced an entire group of million-dollar seeking contestants to get rid of the one thing that can help them win the money. Amazing. For that single achievement alone, Marcus deserves some kind of special Survivor recognition. Some kind of a trophy that says "special achievement." It's the kind of recognition you get when you don't win, but you did "really good." Yes, I know the correct phrase is "really well," but in Kansas we say "good."

At this point you can be sure that Marcus, Corinne, Charlie, and Randy, along with Susie and Bob, are certain they have this game locked. A merge is next, they have the numbers and it's over for the remaining Fang members. Screeeeeeeeeech. Not quite.

No merge. Another switch. The good news for Kota is that they still have the numbers on both tribes. Things are still looking good for them. Fang is in trouble. Matty and Sugar are all alone on one tribe. Crystal and Kenny are all alone on the other.

The only chance Fang appears to have at this point is to get someone to switch over. Susie and Bob seem most likely, only because they appear to be on the bottom of the totem pole. But getting someone to switch from a strong alliance is very difficult to do. People often forget to play to WIN, and instead they play safe.

Kenny, Crystal, Matty, and Sugar are definitely in a hole.

I love that Corinne and Sugar are on the same tribe. Sweet and sour always makes for a tasty treat. Corinne hates Sugar. Sugar thinks Corinne is evil. This is going to be fantastic.

Another immunity challenge and another absolute disappointment for Crystal. I will give you some insight, a bit of behind the scenes. Whenever we start a challenge in which people must do some certain thing for a long time, I always give them five seconds to get themselves situated and then I officially begin the challenge. Crystal could not hold onto those poles for even five seconds. She kept trying but was literally unable to hold these extremely light poles for five seconds. After a few attempts I finally said, "Crystal, the next time we do this, the challenge will begin the second I say go and you're on your own. I can't give you any more chances." She lasted less than a few seconds. I feel for Crystal because there is a certain expectation of an Olympic gold medalist, and I'm sure she wants to scream out, "I'm a sprinter! I'm not great at everything." Fair enough. But come on! I mean seriously, come on! My niece Amanda isn't even 10 years old and she would have outlasted you! Even my younger niece Abby would have done better. It's just unfortunate for her because it's starting to make people question the gold medal more than Ace's accent. I like Crystal but it's hard to defend. Anyway, it came down to Bob and Matty, and Matty won.

Side note: Bob starting to grow on you? He is on me. He's consistent and he stays out of the way. Great strategy. Nobody is thinking about Bob at all. He's no dummy. He knows exactly what he's doing. Go, Maine. I love Maine. It's getting cold in Maine right about now. Shout out to Les and Judy! What up!

Tribal Council awaits...and in one of the biggest blindsides yet...Susie turns on her tribe. Marcus is gone. A complete shocker. The game has just flipped and Susie is now a major player.

Teaser for next episode...just wait until Corinne gets her first look at the new Kota. Marcus voted out at the last tribal council. She is gonna blow.

No need to bury the lead. One of my favorite moments of the entire season happened about seven minutes into this episode. Corrine's reaction to Marcus being voted out. It was almost as good as waiting for Santa to come.

First the Macaulay Culkin "hands to the face" reaction made famous in Home Alone and then the verbal response that revealed the rest of her truth: "I'm pissed. He didn't deserve to leave the game."

Which prompted Kenny's very fair question, "Who does?"

This is why we are still on the air and why I still love hosting Survivor after 17 seasons. Human nature. It is nearly impossible to hide our true selves, especially in times of conflict.

"He didn't deserve to leave the game." Only seven words. But judging from Kenny's clenched jaw reaction, those seven words might have just sealed Corrine's fate. Charlie was less upset and less vocal, and you saw what happened to him. Gone.

I fully admit that it is sooooo easy for me to backseat drive. I'm not playing this game, living in the middle of Africa on nothing, my mind overloaded with strategy, wondering who I can trust, dealing with those annoying bug bites and having an obnoxious host up in my face all the time.

And hey, I'd be "pissed" too if they took out my ally. Marcus was good. Too good to let stay in the game. Corrine, Charlie, and Marcus had a real shot at going to the end and if so, Marcus wins hands down. He was that good. So I fully lay down and concede that I don't think I could hack this game, and as I have said hundreds of time, I have the utmost respect for anybody who raises their hand to endure this thing called Survivor. Now that I've cleared my conscience...it's time to get back to lipping off.

Corrine, it's just a thought, but when you sense the horse is going in a different direction, it might be wise to lessen your hold on the reins and let the horse guide the way. This horse is definitely going in a different direction and the person sitting in the saddle is Kenny. Kenny is...the new kid in town.

Watching Kenny come of age is reality's version of watching great Shakespeare. He's maturing from a young man into a leader...and in this game that means he may soon gain the throne. Ah, but if he gets too cocky, the gods will descend and a beheading is soon to follow. Watch yourself Kenny. A healthy dose of humility could help win you a million dollars.

I have to share a story about the golf challenge. There was much debate between the creative team about whether this challenge was going to provide enough drama. We just weren't sure, so we were hoping we might catch a break and get some really great reality during the challenge and as Survivor luck would have it, we did.

Thank you, Randy, for being so pushy, and thank you, Matty, for pushing back. "No, you can't do it, Randy." Love that moment. If you were paying close attention, Randy was absolutely right in what he was saying. "Just hold it over the hole and drop it." Ah, but once again human nature takes over, and Matty couldn't see straight to save his life.

Personally, I'm just so glad I'm perfect and have no issues whatsoever to deal with. I'm kidding. And while I'm at it, yes I read the comments you leave at EW.com, and yes, I know many of you think "Probst sucks." Whatever.

Man I love this blogging. Cheapest therapy yet.

Then there is the reward where once again, more human nature revealed itself. Corrine smiled! Corrine took the hand of a small child! Dare I say, Corrine loved!! Let them eat cake!! She has a heart! She is human! Yeah! And when Corrine smiles, I am reminded, Corrine is pretty damn attractive.

The merge – finally. Nuff said.

Question: How often has being eliminated in a challenge or at tribal council come down to making fire? Well, I don't know the exact number, but...it's a lot! I promise you if I was going to be on this show I would make certain I could make fire while blindfolded, untying knots, and solving a puzzle, 'cause that's what we do on Survivor! REI sells flint for five bucks! Order online and you don't even have to leave your house!

My final observation: Bob should work in the Survivor art department because the fake immunity idol he made is incredible. Truly beautiful. Still not exactly sure how he pulled it off but there had to be a bit of smelting going on and I don't even know what smelting means! His students back home in Maine should be proud! "Ole teach" is working it and the merge has given Bob new life!

Next time on...Survivor. One of the best episodes of the season. No hype. Pure truth.

After tonight's episode ended, I called Doc Horowitz and said, "I gotta get in to see you. I think something is wrong with me. I think I'm losing my edge. Going soft. Can you run a test or something, see what's what?"

He asked me for my symptoms.

I said, "I felt badly for Randy getting played at tribal council like a banjo at a small town country fair. (Yes, I know, bad analogy and small town and country fair are probably redundant.)

Recognizing the severity of my condition, he immediately cancelled his morning appointments to squeeze me in. I'm waiting on the results.

In the meantime, I try to make sense of it all. Randy is a bitter man with a ton of enemies, and he had this coming like a kid who sticks a fork in a toaster. (Was that one any better?) He deserved what he got like Survivor deserves an Emmy.

So why did I feel bad? Maybe there is just something about Randy that I can relate to and sympathize with. Oh, he will hate me saying it like that.

My friend Serena thinks the answer lies with Sugar and the way she handled herself as I read the votes. "Not cool." (I think she might be right. Serena is almost always right.) That uncontrollable laugh that came from such a deep place inside Sugar was so uncomfortable that I almost wanted to pull the votes out, rearrange them, rewind the tape, and vote Sugar out. Ah, but that's just me. Me and Serena that is...Me and Serena sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g.

I will say this - it was brilliantly played from top to bottom, and I do appreciate that level of execution. Bob deserves major credit. He built an amazing fake idol, and he played both Corinne and Randy so well. Didn't rush it, wasn't pushy. He was subtle. Subtle like the feather of an eagle falling softly to the ground. (Worse?)

Corinne on the other hand is equally as mean as Randy but I don't find myself rooting for her in any way. She is an original. I will give her that. Not sure we've ever had anybody on the show quite like Corinne. Corinne is as subtle as a thunderstorm. Subtle as the look I give a Survivor when they want to quit. Subtle as, I know, a Probst analogy.

Jerri Manthey can't hold a candle to Corinne. Jerri had some likable qualities about her, Corinne has none. Just ask her. She'll tell you the same thing.

By the way, (which is, by the way, one of the phrases that most annoys me because everyone in Hollywood uses it as a way to alert you they're about to say something brilliant) all this stuff about me being attracted to Corinne really surprised me. Here's the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I felt like I had been beating up on Corinne for so long that when I saw her smile on the last episode I figured I'd say at least one nice thing.

Fittingly, Corinne probably hated that I said it in the first place. But just so we are clear, I have no interest in dating Corinne. I do not have the hots for Corinne. I don't think about Corinne. I like nice women. Done. Enough already.

The Survivor Auction. Food wise, Randy was the clear winner and provoked a wonderful 5th-grade argument with Sugar about a cookie, and of course Sugar had to get the last word, and did when she took the cookie and gave it to Matty. So there. Whatcha gonna do about it? Serena likes Sugar but thinks she gets it wrong every single time at tribal council.

I'm a little confused about the auction – it's the one point in the show where we give the Survivors free money and then let them bid on food items and the like. So...why was it so bitter?

I'll tell you this: If it keeps up it's going to be an amazing bloodbath toward the end.

I absolutely love watching Kenny get more and more cocky each week. At the auction for instance, Matty is bidding on the burger and fries and Kenny, who had the most money, shrugs his shoulders and says, "You can have it." Like Tony Soprano, this kid. I can't wait for the execution. I promise you if he keeps this attitude, it will happen and he will not see it coming.

Okay, so to recap, which Serena loves for me to do...

I'm concerned about my soft spot for Randy, not interested in Corinne, can't wait for Kenny to get his comeuppance, enjoyed the 5th grade cookie argument, and love Bob.

Now to answer a few questions from last week:

Regarding a Final 3 vs. a Final 2: Our main concern is to make sure we keep the show interesting, so we vary it from season to season as we see fit. There are strong arguments on both sides, and I promise you whichever side you take, I will take the other side and defeat you. I love debate.

To Penny P – uh...the reason I started saying "FANG" instead of "FONG" is because the tribe changed their name. Pay attention.

Finally, regarding the "same lines" I say every week, such as: "Come on in guys," "Wanna know what you're playing for?" "Immunity is back up for grabs," etc....

I hope you all are enjoying Survivor: Gabon. As I said in the beginning, this season is a slow burn.. and the burn is in full force now.

I think you'll like the way this season finishes. It's definitely dramatic! And while I don't have any control over who wins, I do have an opinion. My own two cents, I think we have some people who would be great, deserving winners and we have some people I'd rather not see win at all. In fact we have some folks that if they do win will make it hard for me to give them the money! It's usually that way which is part of what makes theshow fun to watch. Rooting for, rooting against. It's all good.

This Thursday's episode is one of my favorites. Loved Ones. I love love. Some people don't dig these episodes, but I think we should do it every season. It makes you remember how important your relationships are when you go without them for a month!

Thanks for all of the really nice comments about winning the Emmy. I really do believe that I am one of the luckiest guys working in television. I am the face of a great show with an incredible team and I get way more credit than I deserve. It felt very nice to log onto the MySpace page and see all the congratulatory comments.

Glad you're digging the EW.com blog as well. It's fun to let loose with some lippy opinion. For the record, I am bringing extra security with me to the live show just in case Crystal or Marcus have decided my comments deserve a beat down.

Keep the comments coming, thanks for understanding that I usually can't respond to them, but I do read them and take them to heart. Most of them anyway…!

Well, as the year comes to a close, it's time to start looking at award-worthy performances. Here's my vote for Best Performance by a Duo in a Reality Competition Series About Adventure That Takes Place in Exotic Locations and is Hosted by a Dashing Fella With a Keen Way About Him.

Bob: (clearly distressed over lying to Kenny) If I win the next immunity I'll give it to you.

Kenny: (Long Pause) Okay.

And...scene.

I don't know who should win the acting award, but both Bob and Kenny gave stellar performances. I don't believe Bob was sorry for one second. He is playing the game. Just like Kenny. On the other hand, Kenny's sad "poor me" performance was so understated, so restrained that it almost warrants a spot at the final tribal council.

Bob was never going to give him the necklace, but damn, I do appreciate Kenny's bravado. Plead for the necklace while you're planning Bob's blindside. Awesome. Kenny is setting himself up for a major ass whuppin'...or a million dollars. I love this kid. Love him.

I miss Crystal already. I really do. She's fun to pick on, and she always, and I mean always, had something to say at tribal council. The woman was gold. Not bronze. Not silver. Gold. As in gold medalist.

Favorite moment of the episode: Crystal trying so hard to prove her physical prowess that at the end of the reward challenge she actually attempted to dunk a ball on a four foot goal...that she towered over...and still missed.

Second favorite moment: Watching Crystal try to make her way through the immunity challenge. We couldn't include every moment she went off the course, otherwise the challenge would still be going. To her credit, Crystal has always had a sense of humor about her lack of ability in challenges. Doesn't change the fact that she sucked. She did.

Side note: When Bob was choosing two people to join him on reward, I said, "Two's fun, three's a party." It was an innocent comment. My friend, Serena, felt there was a sexual connotation to the comment. I was appalled. Those kind of dirty and inappropriate thoughts simply do not occur to me. When I am hosting, I am focused. Laser beam precision. Tunnel vision. The thought that somehow I had a Freudian slip that would reveal the truth of what I'm really thinking about out there is simply silly. Now, had it been my other friend, Alexis, who said it, it might have some validity; she's a bit of a psych job, so in an odd way her thinking often makes sense. Yes, I know I Just mentioned two women in the same sentence. Doesn't mean anything. Okay, moving onto the next position, sorry I mean topic.

Sugar is a factor in this game. The sweet little pin-up model is very close to crying her way into the final. Who would ever think she would still be here this long? Not me. Never. How does it happen season after season? She wasn't even picked when they ranked their tribes. She wasn't picked! Then again, Bob was picked very late, so maybe all it means is that Marcus isn't as brilliant as he claims!! Ah-ha!!

Okay, fine. Another gross exaggeration on my part. Marcus actually had the highest IQ of everyone this season. If you want to know who had the second highest IQ, watch the reunion show. I think you will be surprised.

No, I've never taken the IQ test we give them. Because ignorance is bliss. No, I don't feel the need. Just back off. What? Why? That's crazy, I don't have anything to prove. I get paid whether I'm smart or not. Stop it. Go. Would you just go. I have to finish my blog.

Sorry about that. My inner voice – drives me nuts sometimes.

So, as we head into the finale, we are down to five: Sugar, Susie, Kenny, Matty, and Bob.

Sugar is in an excellent spot to make it to the final vote. I'll give her credit. She has done a very good job of staying in this game and staying out of the way. She's survived a record number of days on Exile, she handled the power of the immunity idol beautifully, and she has earned her right to be in the final five. She could easily make it to the final vote.

Susie is a question mark for me. She's riding coattails a bit, for sure, but she has done a good job of offering up her vote to the right people at the right time, and that has kept her out of the line of fire. Don't be surprised if she makes it to the final because everyone thinks they can beat her at the vote.

Matty is a favorite. Has been from day one. I'm so happy he's still in the game. I just like how he wears his heart on his sleeve. Can he win? Yes. Can he make it to the end? Very difficult. He's an obvious target.

Bob is another favorite of mine. Again, from day one. I like his straight-ahead approach, and I have a huge soft spot for Maine. Can he win? Yes. Can he get to the end? It's gonna be tough. He will probably have to win his way there through immunity challenges, otherwise I think they'll take him out. He has too many former tribemates on the jury.

Kenny - I cannot believe Kenny is still in this game. I would have lost my house betting against him making it this far. He has an uphill battle if he's going to win because he has made a ton of enemies. But if he gets to the final with the right person or people, it could happen. Kenny could win this game.

I'll say it right now. All things considered, I'm happy with this final five. There are three people I would be happy to see win and two people that if they win, I'll pretend I'm happy and quickly begin promoting next season.

Remember, the big finale is this Sunday. A two-hour finale followed by the live reunion show where all these knuckleheads will be back together, and you can see who looks good and who looked better on the island.

Now to prove to you that I read your comments, I will answer a few questions:

Where did Bob get the beads to make the immunity necklace…? You can bet I'll be asking him that at the reunion show.

Why did I throw Bob's fake immunity idol in the fire? Because that is what you do when someone plays a fake immunity idol! What, are you new? I totally understand that it was a work of art, and yes, it pained me to do it, but...is this an art exhibit or Survivor? Get over it. He can make another one. And if you want to see what's left of it, tune into the reunion show. Maybe I fished it out of the fire for him...or maybe I'll be wearing it around my neck...or maybe I'll just give it to Serena and call it a day.

Regarding loved ones – there is clearly no right or wrong answer. Those of you who hate the loved ones episodes have miserable lives. Those of us who cry and enjoy the loved ones episodes for their outpouring of emotion are beautiful, loving, wonderful human beings without whom the world would be a dark and dreary place. Welcome to the light, Dalton Ross.

To Dr. Zenith – thanks for the casting ideas, but I have to comment on the assertions that you and especially David Ellen (David, you made the blog!) continue to make: that we manipulate the game so that our favorites can win. Is the medication you're currently taking prescribed or do you buy it on the streets? If we could dictate who would win each season, then the following people never would have won: Tina in Australia, Vecepia in Marquesas, that soft-core porno dude in Thailand, Jenna in the Amazon, Sandra in Pearl Islands, Amber in All-Stars, Earl in Fiji, and Parvati in Fans vs Favorites! All of those just listed people definitely deserved to win because they played the best game, but that doesn't mean they would have been our first choice to win. We would have picked more "colorful" winners. Plain and simple. I'm kind of stumped that people still believe this stuff.

Oh, for the record, they don't have toilets or toilet paper, showers or soap, or make-up, or beds, or secret food stashes, or anything else that would make it more tolerable. The game is real. The game is hard.

To "JeffProbstRocks" – you can come over and watch Survivor at my house. Don't hate those poker chip-throwing friends of yours; envy is difficult, try to understand. That's what I do.

Once and for all – the final three vs final two debate. It's a matter of choice. Personally I believe that when you have three people in the final you have a better opportunity for a good winner because you cannot simply win the final immunity challenge and then take the least liked person with you to the final vote. For instance, had we planned a final three in Fans vs Favorites, Cirie would have won and everybody would have been happy. But we had a final two planned. So, David Ellen, if we were master manipulators, why not make it a final three and let Cirie win? Enough already. That's just my opinion. For crying out loud, get over it.

And for those of you who don't like us switching up the tribes because it screws you up in your Survivor pool, how about this...no switches next season. Straight Survivor. Is that what you want? Two tribes. No switch. One merge. Final 2. Okay, fine. Done. I'll call CBS and tell them I've made a decision. Just don't blame me when the dude from 'N Sync is hosting next season.

Preface: It's late. I'm beat. I mean wiped out. I'm sitting on my couch banging this out, so forgive me if it's not the most entertaining blog of the season. (For more on last night's finale, including who won, follow the jump.)

Bob wins!! I'm happy. I really think he deserved it. I love that he's 57 and our oldest winner — we need more people over 50 playing this game. I was a bit annoyed with Bob about one thing...during the show Bob was so long winded, always ready with another story about this or that. We get to the live reunion show and he's suddenly the shy girl in the corner with braces and a ponytail, who doesn't want to be there. Bob, you made it tough, but I'm still happy for you.

If Susie had won I don't know what I would have said or how I would have justified such a decision by the jury. Yes, Susie did a good job making it far enough to put her in a position to have a shot at the money. But to get three votes and nearly get a fourth vote from Randy really surprised me.

Equally surprising was that Sugar received no votes. Not one jury member thought she was worthy of a vote. I'm guessing there's a "bitter Betty" pill going around in that bunch. They're mad that she had a hand in voting them out, and they're gonna show her by not rewarding her hard work. There is no doubt about it, Sugar played a pretty damn good game.

If this were a "fair" game, which it often is not – Sugar would have received a few votes and Susie would have none. To future Survivor contestants. If you make it to the jury, try to just let the anger and envy go and see the big picture. You got your ass kicked – no way around it – now quit being a baby and reward the person who kicked your ass by giving them your vote.

Tired update: My eyes are starting to close. Forgive me but it's been a long week.

Highlight of the night: Corinne. Case settled. She is a bitch and she loves it and she might be nuts and if she's dating somebody…wow, that must be a crazy life. Some highs, some lows, and some "I gotta get out of here. She's gonna stab me in the face!" Corinne, you were great tonight, don't beat yourself up. You were funny and you secured your spot as Queen Bitch of Survivor. Congratulations.

Randy was also a bit of a let down on the reunion show. He has a very interesting story, which he shared with me before the show. But it was like pulling teeth getting him to share any of it tonight. It's okay, bro, I still love you, but you failed to live up to the standards you set while on the show. You went out with a bit of a whimper…but you got a lot of laughs and so in that sense I am happy to be your straight man.

Kenny. Same thing. You earned major kudos by owning the fact that you got cocky and you got played. One question: Who was Kenny talking to? It was so odd, as he kept looking out to the audience or down to his feet or over to the side or anywhere but to me, the guy asking the questions. I still love ya, bud. Nice job. You proved me wrong. I thought you'd be voted out first or second.

Bob winning the Sprint Player of the Season – I think this was the most satisfying part for me because it says one thing very clearly: The person that the audience most liked…won the game. That's fantastic. I love it when that happens.

Okay, you guys want me to be candid – I am too tired to finish the blog. I'm sorry. I can't even spell check this thing. It's all a big blur.

I hope you will forgive me.

I have loved blogging with you guys. I have loved all of the feedback. So fun to have this exchange. Thank you for letting me air out some of my inner dialogue. With the money I saved, I just bought myself an iPhone.

Survivor: Brazil is going to be very different from Gabon. A lot of likable people and a very differently played game. I think you are going to like it.

Dalton, thanks for the space. Let's do it again next season.

I'll be sound asleep while most of you are reading this. Good morning.